The Film Daily (1942)

Monday, October 5, 1942 Wage Law Passes; Talent Raids Feared (.Continued from Page 1) around, according to members of the legal staffs of the production companies. It was pointed out that an agreement among all companies not to raid each other's talent would be halted quickly by the Department of Justice. This means that the law, which was signed by President Roosevelt Friday night, would affect the amusement field more than other industries. —Ax the Axis with Scrap— Paterson Mayor's Meet On WB Strike is Floppo A meeting called by Mayor Furey of Paterson on JPriday to settle the differences which caused the strike of service employes at seven Warner houses in that city and Passaic fell through when Donald Jaycocks, the circuit's New Jersey zone manager, refused to enter into any further discussion of the situation unless it were between himself and the workers or "any legal government agency certified to act." The CIO asked that th% whole dispute be reopened. Jaycocks is understood to have refused on the ground that the strike was over and the employes had returned to their jobs. Also present were representatives of the U. S. Conciliation Service and the New Jersey State Board of Mediation. — Ax the Axis i iScrap— Capt. H. J. Swetman's Son Decorated With DFC Kapuskasing, Ont. — Capt. H. J. Swetman, manager of the Community theater here, has been advised that his son, Squadron Leader William H. Swetman, RCAF, has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Captain Swetman, a World War I veteran, himself went over the first CEF force in 1939 and was invalided home as the result of injuries received in a bombing attack on London. THE WEEK IN REVIEW Over Quota ■ tr»**;*.ii*il from Pane l ) — proposes a central buying unit to cut costs to both exhibs. and distribs. . . . WPB warned of "draft" of theaters' air conditioning plants. . . . Metro's E. J. Mannix urged that company's studio execs, to devote careful study to any future pictures with a war theme. . . . Producers of advertising films asked for stock allocations. . . . New York film circuits are adjusting their heatingplants to the use of coal. . . . Momand anti-trust suit, filed in 1933, -is expected to go to trial Nov. 9. . . . WHO'S WHO IN HOLLYWOOD • • • Introducing Interesting Personalities • • • I EON FROMKESS. Born in New York City, on Nov. 23, 1901. Educated I at De Witt Clinton High School and Columbia University. Became a member of the New York Curb exchange. Through financing, became interested in the motion picture business. In 1929, did original Wall Street financing for Columbia Pictures. In 1937, handled Wall Street financing for Monogram Pictures. In 1938, became treasurer of Monogram, resigning in 1939. In 1940, helped in the formation of Producers Releasing Corporation. In 1941, was elected executive vice-president of PRC in charge of foreign and domestic distribution and exchange operations. In 1942, was placed in charge of production at the Hollywood studio. Since taking over supervision of production, has supervised nineteen pictures, including "Tomorrow We Live," "Prisoner of Japan," "The Yanks Are Coming," "Secrets of a Co-Ed, " "Boss of Big Town," "Miss V From Moscow," "Jungle Siren," "Mad Monster," "Dead Men Walk," "Corregidor." In 1927, married Rita Minton, concert singer. Weight, 180 pounds. Stands, five feet, six. Eyes, brown. Hair, brown. Hollywood Canteen Bows In Club for Service Men is a Smash Success (Continued of the film industry strut their stuff, detachments of men from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard occupied the spotlight. With the guard of honor were Gov. Culbert L. Olson, Mayor Fletcher R. Bowron, numerous high officers of the various services and business and community leaders. Bette Davis Receives Colors A color guard officially presented flags to Bette Davis, president of the Canteen, who made a short speech of welcome. After that, the 200 uniformed men in the honor guard became the official hosts for the evening. ' They swung open the doors, and thousands of their comrades, who had been packed in the patio in front of the Canteen and half a block each way up Cahuenga Boulevard, entered for the first time. Inside, the boys found a magnificent Canteen, entirely rebuilt and refurbished since it had been' The Barn, a night club. All the work was done entirely by guilds and unions affiliated with the screen industry, and all was done without payment. There is a large floor, big enough to accommodate a thousand dancers at a time, two bandstands and a stage. With three "name" bands for the evening — all donating their services by the way — the stage had to be pressed into service for one of them. The orchestras were Kay Kyser's, Duke Ellington's and Rudy Vallee's Coast Guard Band, with Rudy himself in his Chief Petty Officer's uniform, waving the stick. Several hundred screen starlets, members of the Studio Club, and prettiest of the stenographers, clerks and other studio workers, were on hand to dance with the boys and serve from Page 1) as hostesses. The older players and studio workers were in the kitchen and behind the big snack bar, with Billie Burke in charge of the latter. Eddie Cantor as Emcee Sparked by Eddie Cantor as emcee, a great floor show was put on, with Eleanor Powell dancing until she all but collapsed; Dinah Shore and Betty Hutton singing encore after encore, Cantor himself delivering several of his famous songs, and many others contributing impromptu numbers. Red Skelton and Rags Raglund were among the volunteers. Abbott and Costello scored terrifically with their comedy. The service men all but tore the place down in their enthusiasm. They early cleaned the snack bar of sandwiches and coffee and reserve supplies had to be rushed out. Although supposed to close at midnight, it was two hours later before the last guests and service men had left the place. A squad of volunteer janitors immediately went into action to get things ready for the reopening at two o'clock Sunday afternoon. Canteen Going on Web There was no radio hookup the opening night, but it is learned that the Canteen will be on a national chain soon with a sponsor, guaranteeing the organization against financial worries. There will be two volunteer "name" bands every night, and top entertainment. Everything is donated to the Canteen, including service of all workers and performers. The earnings will go for extra food that must be bought and for added features for the service men. Backers of the Canteen estimated, in advance that it would be able to handle 3000 men nightly. More than twice that number showed up for the opening, making necessary a "rationing" system which will be worked out with morale officers in the district in future. Jack Carson in Strand P.A. Jack Carson, Warner star, will make a p.a. at the New York Strand with the run of "You Can't Escape Forever," starting Oct. 16. — Ax the Axis with Scrap — Penn Square Resumes Cleveland, O. — Penn Square Theater, closed two months, opened Saturday, resuming a foreign picture policy. E. J. Stubs operates. $8,000,000,000 Tax Levy Gets Senate Group Okay Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — The $8,000,000,000 tax bill presented to the Senate Finance Committee seven months ago received the approval of that group on Friday. It is the largest tax bill in the history of the United States. HCLLyWCCD Speaking— By RALPH V ILb —HOLLYWOOD TWENTIETH CENTURY-FOX on Fgfl • bought screen rights to Quentin nold's new book, "Only the Stars Neutral," for a reported price of $100,000 and has engaged Reynolds to help prepare the scenario and to appear in a prologue to the picture. • • METRO has signed Al Lewin, formerly of the indie team of Loew-Lewin, to a writer-producer-director contract. He left at the week-end for New York to see the Broadway plays. • • I ESTER COWAN, Columbia producer, is *~ bidding for the motion picture rights to the new Ann Ronell musical, "Count Me In." • • DARTON MacLANE and Charlotte Wyn'■' ters (Mrs. MacLane), are currently before the cameras together for the second time in their lives, for Producer Lester Cutler's "Permit to Kill." They first met while making "Smart Blonde" for Warners. • • VA/ITH his "Something To Shout About" "' now in the cutting room at Columbia, Producer-Director Gregory Ratoff is leaving for New York shortly to look over the Broadway shows. Ratoff has scheduled "Leave It To Me" for his next at Columbia. • • TED FIO RITO and his band have been ' signed to open the El Patio Ballroom in Reno, Nev., on Oct. 30. Following a series of dance dates, Fio Rito returns to Hollywood in November to fulfill a motion picture assignment. • • CCENARIST GEORGE BRUCE, now under ^ contract at Metro, has written more than 40 motion picture screenplays. • • "THE PAGEANT OF THE POPES," forth' coming book by John Farrow, who directed "Wake Island," has had an advance sale of 16,000 volumes, prior to its appearance in book stores on October 14. War Bond Concert Series Stopped by AFM Union Musicians' Local 802, AFM, forced the abandonment of series of FM broadcast concerts by the Perole String Quartette arranged for by the War Savings Staff of the Treasury Department to aid the sale of War Bonds and transferred it to WQXR, a standard frequency station. The union based its refusal of "clearance" for the series on the ground that the FM stations did not regularly employ any musicians. William Feinberg, secretary of the union, said, however, that permission would be granted for the Perole String Quartette to play on any station that ordinarily employed musicians.